NEWPORT, Wash. — For a pair of Newport parents, a nightmare has come true: Their teenage son has been missing for two weeks.
Jason Fox, 19, hasn't responded to texts from his parents since Sept. 14. The Newport Police Department said they are treating Fox's disappearance as suspicious.
Jason Fox missed lunch with his family on Monday, Sept. 14, according to his parents, Susan and Michael Fox.
The Foxes said they usually saw their son often and tried to check in with him nearly every day.
In a text message thread with Jason, Michael asked his son where he was. Jason responded that he was busy and forgot about their plans. Michael tells him he loves him. After that message, Michael said, Jason disappeared.
"Everybody says, 'how are you and what can I do?' Like, how do you think I am, and you can find my son to help me,'" said Jason's mother, Susan Fox.
Jason was raised by his father Michael until the couple got together when the teen was 7 years old, Susan said. The family has always been incredibly close.
"He doesn't just, you know, go away and not show," said Michael. "He's a human being and he didn't deserve anything, if something happened to him."
Newport police are treating this as a suspicious disappearance, and although they have leads, the investigation is ongoing and much of the details are private at this time, Newport Police Chief Mark Duxbury said. Outside agencies are assisting with the case, including the Washington State Patrol.
Duxbury did not confirm or deny whether the department has a suspect identified.
"I am a realist, you know, I know the odds and it may turn into a making someone pay rather than my son gets to come home," said Michael, tearfully. "That's a hard thing to deal with, but I don't want I don't want to screw up that aspect of it by divulging too much."
Michael said he believes he will have an update to share relatively soon, but for right now he and Susan are just trying to get through the day and sleep through the night.
"There's no 'how to deal with the disappearance' for dummies book or something," he said. "I never understood the whole 'not knowing is is worse' thing, but I finally understand that knowing would be better. I just want my son."
Newport police said they believe Jason had contacts in the western Montana area, but specifically in Libby, Troy, and Thompson Falls. The family is asking for anyone in the vicinity to report anything they see to Newport police at 509.447.6476.